We're here for you if you're feeling lonely
Date Added: 17/06/2022
Loneliness Awareness Week
Loneliness is something we all feel at times, but when it becomes chronic or long-term it can have serious effects on our mental health. This week is Loneliness Awareness Week and is an opportunity to reduce the stigma around the topic and to encourage people to talk more openly about it.
There’s a range of support and advice for those who are feeling lonely to help become connected to others.
Getting out and about
Getting out and meeting others can be difficult. Joining social clubs, going to a fitness class at one of our leisure centres or attending a reading group at a library is an easy way to meet other people with similar interests.
If you’re interested in visiting our country parks, why not join one of our groups that carry out practical management work, organise events and raise funds to improve the site.
Taking part in our health walks also has the added benefit of getting outdoors and exercising too. Getting involved in volunteering can help you connect with others and feel boosted by giving something back.
Social Prescribing
You may have also seen GP surgeries offering something called Social Prescribing. This service directs people to health and wellbeing activities in the local community – and refers them on to a range of local services run by us which help with non-medical conditions, such as loneliness.
Social Prescribing is a free service which is being piloted in a number of surgeries with the intention to roll it out across the whole of Central Bedfordshire in the future. The pilot is being supported by us, our NHS partners and local voluntary organisation, the Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity (BRCC) who runs the successful time2connect project that we’re funding.
We're here all year-round
Even though we’re coming to the end of Loneliness Awareness Week (13 – 17 June), that doesn’t mean the support available stops. If you find yourself feeling lonely, or you think you know someone who is, our service is here for them and you - all year-round.
Loneliness Awareness Week was launched in 2017 by the Marmalade Trust; the U.K’s leading loneliness charity for all ages.
For more general information about the Marmalade Trust, visit their website.